The weekly messenger. [volume] (St. Martinsville [i.e. St. Martinville] La.) 1886-1948, 1887-09-24
THE OLD EDITOR.
A Story Of Type and Paper and Aud
Lang Sync.
from ;lic Dakota Bcll.l

called the tTOpuWln illSllcT. LIE on
man had not the strength nor taste for
gathering much local news, but he
wrote long and sometimes able editorials.
The hustler man could not have writ
ten an editorial of any kind If he had
tried, but got lots of personals and
items about new front gates and the
births of twin calls. People took the
Rustler and ignored and made fun Ut
the Palladium.
Sometimes the old man would speak
about it. "There is an editorial on our
common school system" he would say,
(which is better than the one l once
published on the same subject in the
Herkimer County Palladium while /
was running that paper, when 1t had
thirty five hundred circulation. l hate
to praise my own work, but l know that
article is good. But no one will read il,
or if some one should he wont appreci-
a.e it. 1t is almost sixty years since /
learned my trade ard | have published
newspapers for nearly fifty. II makes
me feel discouraged to think that after
all these years my work is not valued
more highly. But am going to DO the
hest / can and may God grant that L
may die III community where ! will he
better appreciated.
Poor old man, [ can see him vet as
hc sits alta rough board table in a rough
or board ofce, both of which he had
made himself. working away on an edi-
torill ON our foreign relations
As the winter came on lie grew lass
able to write ur do other work. 1t was
too much for him to roll while [
pulled the old hand press, so he wonid
sit and watch me and fold the papers
while | did both, walking around the
press each time. But it was no. very
hard even then-wc only printed ninety
six papers.
After while some of his editorials
hardly read rs clearly us they should.
| frequently had to stu, over and rear
range involved sentences as stood at
the case. And n few l coald make no
"hcad or tall to tall and quietly threw
away. used to help him rs much as
possible, pick up as much news as l
could on the street and try to get sub
seriber occasionally. NanNcss would
paper or even to pay him if he owed
him. He hardly took in dollar from
one weeks end to the other. He had
paid me Int little for Il long time, but I
was determined to see him through tho
winter II least. He lived alone III the
Office anl Just managed to get enough
money from the advertisers to buy food.
One week Just before Christmas we
were bchind-hand with the work. [
had had to wait for "copy." 1t was Fri
day afternoon and was already growing
dark i'll the back part oi The room where
/ worked. / went to the hook and found
a long piece. 1t would make column
and baltimore than we wanted. |
spoke to Van Ness about it, but he was
looking on. of the little window which
faced to the west and said nothing. L
returned to the case and began reading
the article. 1t started as an editorial
on Christmas and why We observed it,
but it soon ran into strange personal
matters. n sort of biography, long ago
boyish incidents. references to- his moth
er again and again, and then to another
Dolly, | thinE-and to others, evil
IDENTIFY his children. but it said they
were all gone, and at the end it wander
ed back to his mother again and his
earliest childhood scenes, and the sell
fences and words became tangled, only
| could see the old man was boy again
and that his mother was lending over
him and Watching him at his childish
play as she did long years ago.
i laid down the manuscript and turn
ed to where the old man sat. He was
leaning back in his chair, gazing ont of
the window. l stepped to his side; he
just raised his eyes, but did not appear
to know me. Again he Sazed out the
window at the red anG golden clouds in
the west where the sun had just sunk
ont of sight. 1t was beautiful sight
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